Coffee Shop Romance

Chapter 23

*Five Months Later*

"Elijah? We have to hurry or we'll be late!" I called up to the bedroom. It was Halloween, and we were supposed to be at Dom's flat in a half an hour. At LA traffic that meant we should've left a half hour ago. I knew Elijah was stalling due to his costume.

"Hold on! I'll be right down...I can't believe you've done this to me."

I grinned. "C'mon hun! You lost the bet dear...so this should teach you to doubt me."

*Flashback: Three Weeks Earlier*

"No way!" Elijah laughed.

"Yes it is." I persisted. We'd been playing trivia games all night with Dom and Billy against the two of us. Now we were close to the finish of the game, and we had a question about a Disney movie. Elijah was insisting that the green fairy in Sleeping Beauty was Flora. Being the persistant creature that I am, was quietly sushing him and trying to explain that it was Fauna.

"No no....Flora is the Green Fairy and Fauna is the Red Fairy!" He kept insisting.

I smirked at him, "Want to bet?" I glanced at Billy and Dom acrossed the table. "The loser has to dress up in whatever the winner decides, for the halloween party in a few weeks." I nodded to Dom who held the card and said, "The Green Fairy is Fauna."

Elijah smirked and crossed his arms, "I'm soo going to enjoy this babe!"

Dom laughed, "So am I mate. She's correct, It's Fauna."

Elijah jerked up in his seat. "What??" He looked at me, "You cheated didn't you?"

"No, I've had that entire movie memorized since I was three." I smiled at him, "So I knew from the beginning you'd lose the bet."

Elijah gulped, "So...what is my costume?"

"I don't know yet...we've got time to come up with something." I smiled and gave him a kiss.

*End Flashback*

"'Lij if you don't get down here now we're going to be extremely late!" I stepped into the hall bathroom and glanced briefly at my costume. I was dressed as a Hawai'ian dancer, with a tropical blue sarong and matching bikini top. I had added crinkles to my hair and placed a pink flower at my ear, with a beautiful lea around my neck and wrist.

I heard the swish of Elijah's grass skirt as he walked down the stairs. "I can't believe you are doing this to me." He laughed. I had him dressed in a grass skirt, with his hair in it's normal messy spikes and a more masculine lea around his upper arm. His swiming trunks under his skirt were a perfect match to my skirt and top. He kissed my nose, "So are we ready?"

"You bet!" When we got into the car I laughed because the grass strands kept getting tangled in the wheel. "It's a good thing we live in LA." I said smiling at him.

"Why's that?" He was watching for crazy drivers on the road. People always seemed to go nuts on this night.

"Because you wouldn't be able to go around topless." I poked his bare side and laughed.

When we got to Dom's flat we were greeted at the door by a lizzard. After a close examination we discovered it to be Orlando in green make up. His "tail" was made out of foam and coat hangers. "Well hello there beautiful!" He bent in for a kiss, but when I went to kiss his cheek I got a small lick on mine.

"Orlando! That's disgusting!" I laughed and smacked him on the arm.

"Sorry babe, just tasting." He laughed and gave Elijah a bear hug. "She's a wonderful girl man! You are lucky to have her." He ruffled his hair and pushed him into the living room.

Dom, Billy and another woman were setting out food and drinks on the make-shift buffet table. Dom was dressed as a ballerina...complete with butterfly wings and a rinestone tiarra. Billy and the woman were dressed as Peter Pan and Wendy. "Lass!" Billy called me over. "I want ye to meet my girlfriend Ali!"

I stuck out my hand, "It's nice to finally meet you! Now I'm not the only sane one in this bunch." She laughed, and I found it to be a genuine one. 'She's pleasant enough.' I thought. She was a beautiful woman, and instantly seemed to shine with happiness when Billy glanced at her. I looked briefly at Elijah and marveled at how happy I had become in such a short while. It was only a short while ago it seemed that I had moved to LA searching for work until I could afford to hire and agent. Now, I was dating a handsome young man, had won roles on independent films, and was genuinely happy for the first time in my life. Then I realized Billy was talking to me and I forced myself to focus on him once again.

"--so what do you think Lass?" He was looking at me and smiling...I was caught.

"Hmm? Oh sorry Bills...I guess I sort of zoned for a second.

Ali laughed, "Well he does tend to prattle on sometimes." Billy stood there with his mouth open, a surprised look on his face as if to say, "You dare to poke fun at me?" She laughed once again and popped a grape into his mouth. He chuckled and I walked over to Elijah, who was busy trying to steal Dom's tiarra and wand.